Subscribers use various devices (e.g., a cellular telephone or pager) to communicate with other subscribers within a satellite communications system. These devices communicate with the system via several communications processes, each involving an exchange of messages between the subscriber and the system.
Registration, for example, is one of these communication processes. Each registration process involves an exchange of registration messages between the subscriber and the system. Registration may also be used to keep track of the subscriber so that the system knows where to send messages that indicate an incoming call for that subscriber.
When a subscriber crosses a border between two countries, a satellite communications system may have to detect this border crossing for a number of reasons. In some cases, the user is forced to re-register. Forced re-registration can occur for a variety of reasons.
In some existing satellite communications systems, provisions have been made to automatically re-register subscriber units that move between different areas which are controlled by different gateways. In addition, some existing satellite communications systems use re-registration procedures and protocols based on geo-location information.
What are needed are a method and apparatus for allowing user-aided registration in a satellite communications system. Further needed are a method and apparatus which allow a user to receive a visual indication of the registration region and which allow the user to force re-registration to occur in a particular region.